Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1887-09-15


bit. for no one but the five boys in the
pit knew whether there were half q
dozen more to go off But We sailed
in pretty soon and hauled out what
was left of the boys. and it was sight
to make you sick. We were pretty
badly cut up about it, and when we
had cleaned them up and laid them
out decently in the cabin we went
down in front of Dutch Dawes saloon,
and ST Hawkins called the meeting to
order.
Boys he said, in a husky voice,
we've got our first chance to start a
graveyard. and no town never had a
better. Them boys thar and he
jerked his thumb over his shoulder,
would do anyIgraveyard proud. and
we ought to star It 'em off in style. It's
a rotten shame if we don't give 'em
the best send off the markets got, and
curse the expense
I'VE cheered this sentiment in spite
of the occasion, and he continued:
What We want to do is to send for cof-
fins. Any man that's in favor of the
sentiment can just walk up here and
plank down his dust
mo one could refuse this appeal,
and the needed sum was soon raised.
An order was written to the Sampson
vile undertaken and given to the
driver of the down stage, with the
verbal message:
If they amt here by to-morrer
night a committee of Their boys'll be
down thar ter find out why. an they'll
need their collins ter hum
About sunset next evening a
wagon turned off the MAN road and
came into camp. 1t brought the cof-
fins. They were unloaded. one after
the other, and shone with all the
splendOr that fresh varnish could give
them.
"'Thar's style for ye.' said Haw-
kins. with pardonable pride. How
the boys would enjoy 'em if they were
here. BY the Lord Harry he shout
ed. suddenly, there's six here! Who
ordered Skip
"Jim Davis was the man that
wrote the letter. He turned deathly
pale. and said: BY George. there's
bad luck coming. There's a sixth
man in this crowd. l ordered five
collins. an that extra one hasn't come
for nothing
There was a sudden silence, and
most of the crowd turned as pale as
Jim. 1t did look mighty plausible
that that there coffin was looking for
some one, and each man felt an I'M
comfortable suspicion that he was the
one. The only one that was bold
enough to resent the idea was Five
fingered Jack, who had been born
with five fingers on his left hand, and
had evened matters up by shooting off
his thumb.
You're good one. JIM he says.
you're the scholar of the crowd, but
you can't write straight yet
90 See here said Jim, getting riled,
1 amt no scholard, but l don't
knuckle down to no man when it
comes to Orderin' collins. l KEEP
copy Of the letter, so't the undertaken
don't cut any shines with u.s.. He
pulled out the letter, and he HAD writ
ten five as plain rs life.
That coffin has come for one of
us. he continued. AN it means bust
ness. 1t stands to reason that when
coffin travels twenty-five miles it's
goin' to get its man.
I'VE gathered round, looking about
as solemn as we felt, and some of the
boys kept looking over their snoul-
ders suspicious-like to the cabin where
the dead men lay as thong h they were
afraid the night might encourage 'em
to come out an pick their company
for the next days journey.
Isl Hawkins tried to pump the fell
low that drove the team up to the
camp. but he didn't know any thing
about it. The collins had been loaded
in by the undertaken, and he brought
them up us they were given to him.
So Hawkins told us to come into Dutch
Dawes. and the boys began to get
their courage out of bottle. in the
natural way. As they got livened up
they began to joke about their fears
and recommend candidates for the va
cant honor.
{" .Meb be it's after the Teller what
stole Simpsons horse, said Five
gered Jack. in sort of bantering
tone. EFF he's ketched he'll need it
mighty bad
The crowd laughed-all but Jim.
He took it seriously and tried to argue
the matter. He won't get no coffin.
he said. He'll be lucky to git buried
at all. Ye can laugh all We want ter.
but there's goin' ter be six funerals to-
morrow instid of five.
"'There's dead coyote little ways
up the gulch. Meb be yc'd like ter
plant him along with the boys con-
tinued Jack, hooking him.
''Jim began to get his back up.